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BEST known as – Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport today had issued a Diwali bonus order of Rs 5,000 for its staffs.

This decision was taken by the BEST committee meeting.

This bonus amount of Rs.5,000 would benefit 41,000 employees of BEST, Said by Sunil Shinde Chairmen BEST The decision, which will add a burden of over Rs 40 crore on the civic transport and power supplying body, was not an easy one as the BEST is going through a financial crunch, he said.“We have to keep our workers happy. And on the occasion of Diwali the amount will be given, which is a good news.”Shinde further said BEST bus passengers or power consumers won”t have to face the brunt of the financial crunch.

Lucknow, Oct 17 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Monday announced a bonus for all Class III and Class IV employees as well as teachers of all government and state-aided educational institutions.

‘All employees whose grade pay was less than Rs.13,500 per month would be entitled to the bonus for which an upper ceiling of Rs.3,500 has been fixed,’ said an official spokesman.

‘While 50 percent of the bonus would be paid to the entitled employees and teachers before Diwali, the remaining part will be deposited in their provident fund accounts,’ he said.

As many as 15 lakh employees would be benefit by the decision which will cost the state exchequer some Rs.508 crore, he added.

Itanagar, Oct 18 (PTI) Despite a resource crunch, the Arunachal Pradesh government today announced a 7 per cent dearness allowance (DA) Diwali gift for its employees over-and-above the ad hoc bonus announced by the Centre, taking into consideration the rising price index.

In a statement, Finance and Planning Minister Kalikho Pul said the DA gift would entail a burden of Rs 39.50 crore (Rs 36.92 crore non-plan and Rs 2.58 crore under Plan heads) on the exchequer.

Ahead of the festival season, the Centre had on September 13 announced an ad hoc bonus of up to Rs 3,500 for Group C and D central government employees and personnel of the armed and paramilitary forces.

Pul said the state government, led by Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin, announced the gift with the rationale that a

“huge amount of central funds for implementation of numerous schemes under the Plan head is flowing in, which could be utilised properly on time with the commitment of government employees.”“Implementation of these projects, proper fund utilisation and timely submission of utilisation certificates would alone facilitate the release of the subsequent installments in most of the central schemes,” he added.

The Cabinet is likely to discuss a railway ministry’s proposal for productivity linked bonus for its employees in a meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow. The railway ministry had recently assured productivity-linked bonus (PLB) to its employees in the grade pay ranging from Rs 1,800 to Rs 4,600, thus entailing an additional burden of Rs 600-700 crore on the finances of the public-sector employer.

The assurance was given by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi after he held extensive discussion with various employees’ federation a few days back, officials said. The Union Cabinet is also expected to discuss a proposal forward by the agriculture ministry to set up the Norman Borlaug Institute for South Asia to undertake advanced research on agricultural practices.

Named after famous agronomist and noble laureate Borlaug, the institute is proposed to be set up in Haryana in collaboration with Mexico-based International Wheat and Maize Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).

Meanwhile, on the railway employees bonus, officials said PLB is linked to NTKM (net tonne km traffic) earning divided by the number of employees.

Though there has been an 83.37 per cent increase in passenger traffic and 74.95 per cent increase in goods traffic in terms of kilometres covered between 2000-2001 and 2008-2009, staff strength has been reduced by 10.29 per cent. The PLB paid approximately to 13 lakh employees will amount to Rs 8,975 per employee.According to the Bonus Act, the maximum bonus allowed to the employee for 30 days is Rs 3,500. Actually, the federations had demanded 80 days’ bonus and had asked for PLB to the employees equal to their per day salary earning.

According to reliable sources, the Cabinet may consider the proposal of hike of 7% Dearness Allowance w.e.f 01.07.2011 and diwali bonus to Central staff day after tomorrow, the 15th September. The railway employees are likely to get 78 days PLB, while the other Govt. employees may get 30 days’ adhoc bonus, as per sources.